


Jongin's Home For Wayward Supernatural Creatures

by SnowyK



Category: EXO (Band), Girl's Day (Band), SHINee, Super Junior, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Family Fluff, Gen, M/M, chosen family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 08:31:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14614131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyK/pseuds/SnowyK
Summary: Wood dryads aren't supposed to be alone, but they're also not supposed to form a family with fairies, shifters, basilisks or dragons - and they're definitely not supposed to fall in love.





	Jongin's Home For Wayward Supernatural Creatures

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haekass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haekass/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Demons Strictly Cash](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/380541) by haekass. 



> This is inspired by haekass' eunhae fic Demons Strictly Cash on asianfanfics. You don't have to read that to understand this but I recommend reading it!

Wood dryads are not meant to be solitary creatures. Jongin used to live in a forest with his family, his tree’s sapling roots drawing on the power of century-old magic from the trees of his ancestors. His parents were soft and warm, keeping him safe even during storms and sweltering heat.

Humans had no magic and were hence not deemed a threat. The reliance on natural laws was his tribe’s downfall.

Colossal and noisy beyond comprehension, human machines tore through the forest and ripped out the trees to be taken away.

His family could not escape, their ancient oaks rooted deep into the earth and immovable. When they fought back with stabbing branches and strangling vines, the humans used bombs to demolish everything.

Jongin was young, then. His sapling untangled its roots so he could run away, cradling it close to his chest as the fires began to range.

That was a long time ago.

 

* * *

  


His forest is quiet. The leaves rustle in the wind, birdsong fills the air and old autumn leaves crackle as animals walk through them, but the magic is still and only whispers when Jongin speaks to it.

There are no other wood dryads.

A small river passes through his territory, and sometimes water nymphs bring him news of the world and teach him new tricks. In exchange, Jongin attempts to recreate old magic based on stories of legend. His teas have become quite well-known, and once in a while he’ll have a visitor requesting his services. As the seasons come and go, so does his company.

Jongin had long accepted this truth, disappointing as it may be.

Perhaps that’s why finding a naked boy in his vegetable garden was such a shock.

Jongin stared, blinking a few times in case the morning dew had gathered on his eyelashes. Memories of the last visitor, a bold gnome who’d tried to steal his teas, were still fresh in his mind. He erred on the side of caution and poked the stranger with a long stick until he woke up with a screech. “Hey! That hurts!”

Jongin brandished the stick like a weapon, a mere distraction for the vines in the earth to edge closer for a true attack if needed. “What do you want.”

The boy groaned, pushing himself up to sit and rub at his eyes. He shivered and tufts of black fur rippled across his body before disappearing into his skin again. With a grunt of irritation, the boy seemed to settle for sprouting black wings to wrap around his body. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to crash here.”

Jongin hesitantly lowered the stick, seeing only resignation in the boy’s eyes. As he watched, the boy’s nose rippled into a dark beak. “You are cursed.”

The boy snorted and tried to say something, but it came out as a caw instead. His head drooped as the fight left him, and the rest of his human form morphed into a raven. A soggy, miserable raven.

Jongin’s certain his soft heart came from his mother. “Stay, if you like. There is a storm coming.”

The kind of idiocy that has him inviting strangers into his home definitely came from his father.

 

* * *

  


The shapeshifter’s name was Jungkook. A foolish teenager, he’d tried to steal sugarcane from a witch and gotten cursed for his trouble. “She locked me into that form, the nasty piece of work. I tried to peck her eyes out and lost a finger,” he mused, nursing a teacup with one hand as he examined his missing left ring finger. “Got one of her eyes though,” he cackled, the sound turning to a caw as his head morphed.

Jongin silently took the teacup and sipped from his own, staring out the window of his cottage into his garden as he waited for Jungkook to shift back. It took an hour.

“Sorry,” Jungkook sighed, cracking his neck with a pout. “She died five years ago and the curse is getting weaker, but it’ll be a while before I’ve got full control again. I can take human form now – thumbs! I was a bird for a _decade_ , man. Not cool. Can’t shift to anything else though.”

Jongin gave a commiserating hum. “That is unfortunate. You may stay here as long as you need.”

Jungkook grinned at him so brightly that some of the leaves shading his heart bent back to let it bask in sunlight. “You’re gonna regret that.”

 

* * *

  


Jungkook doesn’t leave. Jongin never regrets it.

 

* * *

  


Once is coincidence, twice is a pattern.

Jongin doesn’t even blink when Jungkook flies into him, claws digging through his hair. “What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching up to prevent any leaves from being dislodged.

Two years on, Jungkook still had issues with the curse. Like its caster, it stubbornly clung onto life. He shifted back to speak and looked down with bemusement when he realised one arm was still a wing. “There’s a dinosaur-like thing in the back, near your tree. It’s unsettling the fairies.”

Alarm heightening his senses, Jongin dashed for his tree. His magic suffused through the greenery surrounding him, preparing the grass to attack.

The sight before him wasn’t what he was expecting.

“To your left!” Hyeri called out, her pink wings a blur as she hovered in the air. The other three fairies stood protectively within the fairy circle surrounding his _Quercus stenophylla_ , hands covering their eyes.

A large monster was just metres from his tree, green scales glistening in dappled sunlight. Thick, muscular arms covered the creature’s face, a bulky tail trailing in the grass behind it. “Left,” the creature muttered. It paused, sniffing the air, then promptly backed away. “Newcomer,” it hissed. “Dryad. I did not mean to intrude.”

Jongin narrowed his eyes and approached warily. “Who are you?”

The creature ducked its head. “Basilisk. I mean no harm. I smelt food but didn’t realise there were others here.”

Hyeri fluttered to Jongin’s shoulder, grasping a lock of his brown hair for stability with a tiny hand. “He smelt honey,” she murmured, staring very determinedly away from the basilisk. “You smell of the forest and Jungkook smells of a bird. He truly did not know.”

“It’s okay,” he replied, stepping forward. “I’m coming closer,” he warned before placing a hand on the basilisk’s forearm. “What is your name?”

The basilisk was silent for a long moment. “…my name?” he rasped. “You want to know?”

“Sorry if it’s sensitive,” Jongin winced, trying to recall what the water nymphs had told him of basilisks. “I don’t know what beings are protective of them.”

“Not that,” the basilisk shook his head. The scent of iron grew stronger and Jongin realised with a jolt that his hand was wet with blood. “Nobody has asked for my name in a long–”

A shout breaks through the forest’s noise and they both stiffened. “Humans,” Jongin growled.

The basilisk backed away from his hand. “I do not want to kill,” he said lowly, “but you asked my name. It is Yoongi. I will protect you both. My thanks.”

Before Jongin could say anything, Yoongi charged through trees and vanished.

 

* * *

  


Human screams filled the air for a while. Jongin only goes to find him after he’s ensured Jungkook and the fairies were inside for the night, safe from a basilisk’s stare.

He followed the trails of blood, reaching out to encourage the grass to drag the dead bodies into the earth. He finally found Yoongi sprawled on the ground amongst the bushes, blood glistening in the moonlight. He sat next to his face and poked him until he opened his eyes with a start.

Golden eyes met his for a second before Yoongi gasped and covers his eyes with a wail. “No! I am so sorry! You were not meant to die, I should be the one to perish,” he hissed.

Other than a faint tingle at the back of his spine, the eye contact didn’t affect Jongin. “My tree is my source of life. Trees do not have eyes. You cannot kill me that way.” Jongin paused and tilted his head, thinking back to the water nymphs who had taught him to read off books thrown into waterways by reckless humans. “You are very dramatic. Like Romeo and Juliet. Stupid way to die.”

Yoongi went very still. “Wood dryad. I cannot kill you?”

Jongin shook his head and opened his bag to retrieve a clay container of salve he’d made. “Trees do not have eyes,” he said again and set to work covering the many wounds tearing into scaly skin. Yoongi remained quiet while Jongin worked, minutes stretching into an hour.

“I am sorry,” Yoongi eventually said. “I have been nothing but trouble.”

“My friends are safe,” Jongin said neutrally. “Humans make good fertiliser. The forest thanks you.”

Yoongi’s laugh turned into a sob that didn’t stop until his throat ached.

Jongin didn’t address him again until all of the wounds were treated to his liking. “What do you intend to do now? I do not know much of basilisks, but I believe you can transform to human form?”

Yoongi nodded miserably. “As we age we develop more control- first to look human, then to control the lethality of our gaze. I am slow. My agemates have mastered the gaze and yet I can barely change form. I was cast out.”

Jongin hummed in sympathy. “Can you change your face? At least the shape.”

Yoongi pushed himself up and focused. After a few minutes, he sighed as his body shrunk to match Jongin. It took more effort but eventually his face lost its snout and he almost looked human, if not for the green scales and tufts of white hair protruding from his scalp. “Sorry.”

“Shifting is not easy,” Jongin said simply. “Wait here.”

He stood and traced his steps through the forest, redirecting his senses to sift through the dirt until he found what he’s looking for. Roots grasped the object and thrust it up from the earth to Jongin’s waiting hand. The dirt falls off with a wave of his hand and Jongin inspects the item carefully, holding it to the sky to see the moon through the lens. Satisfied with the diminished glow, he returned to Yoongi and held it out.

“Water nymphs like to collect these,” Jongin said with a shy smile at the wonder in Yoongi’s golden eyes. “Humans wear them in sunlight. I do not know why they brought them here at night, but it is fortunate.”

“Humans are dumb,” Yoongi said absently, taking the sunglasses with smaller hands than he’s used to. He slid them onto his face and looked up hesitantly. “Better?”

Jongin peered into the lens. “It is too dark to tell. We will check in the morning. Can you see?”

“Better than walking with my hands over my eyes,” Yoongi muttered.

Jongin snorted a laugh and gestured for Yoongi to follow. “I must ask you to stay on the porch tonight. Is that okay? I must be sure you cannot harm my friends.”

“It is more than I could ask for,” Yoongi said, his voice hoarse yet clearer than his full basilisk form. “My thanks. I will only stay for the night.”

“Stay as long as you need,” Jongin said automatically. “If the faceguards work,” he added. Yoongi grunted and pushed himself to his feet, his slow footsteps crunching on dead leaves as they returned to the cottage.

 

* * *

  


Jongin woke not to sunlight streaming through the windows as usual, but to Jungkook and the fairies poking his face. “Good morning,” he yawned, blinking blearily at them.

“You’re still sleepy,” Yura frowned, her blue wings beating behind her as she flies to land on his head. “Winter is coming. Are you not energised?”

“That’s your season, not his,” Sojin tutted from her perch on Jungkook’s shoulder, her orange wings angled delicately beneath his hair. “As Autumn is mine. Of course he’s sleepy, there’s less sunlight now.”

“Do you guys have this discussion every year?” Jungkook asked, fighting the urge to yawn himself. “He practically hibernated last year.”

“Last year was the worst,” Minah shuddered, surging forwards to tuck herself into Jongin’s front shirt pocket. Her red wings didn’t quite fit but she made do, snuggling into his warmth. “If I could’ve hibernated I would’ve too. Summer is clearly the best.”

Jungkook intercepted before another argument could break out. “How you guys formed a family I’ll never understand. Also, Jongin fell asleep again. Hey!” He clapped his hand on Jongin’s shoulder, jolting him from sleep. “The basilisk’s still on the porch and we’re scared to go outside. Little help?”

Grunting and immediately missing the warmth of his bed, Jongin trudged out of his room and through the house. Sunlight hit him as soon as he opened the door and he stood there for a long moment, basking in it and feeling the answering energy in his tree.

Yuna and Minah left him to hide inside, but Hyeri tucked herself against his neck in a silent show of support. “Yoongi?” Jongin called, sticking his head out to see the basilisk’s bulky form curled against the wall.

“I am sorry,” Yoongi groaned, face firmly planted against the wood. “I can’t hold even that form for long.”

Jongin hummed as he thought. “Hang on, I think I have a tea for that.” He headed back inside and ignored the curious eyes upon him as he rummaged through his dried tea collection, finding the combination he’d created for Jungkook shortly after he’d started living with him.

“Oh, good idea,” Jungkook grinned as he recognised the blend, grabbing a mug and strainer for Jongin. He ducked down to grab something from the cupboards and cackled at Jongin’s unimpressed glance at the wine. “What? It might calm him down!”

“Or inebriate him,” Jongin replied flatly. “Grab some St John’s wort?”

“Or that,” Jungkook shrugged, putting the wine back before grabbing the requested herb. “I’ll check if any blood thinners.” At Jongin’s confused look he added, “My dad was into medicine, the human type. They can react with human medication.”

Jongin added the St John’s wort to the strainer and poured water into it, smiling in thanks when Minah heated the water with her summer magic for him.

“Mr Basilisk!” Jungkook called from the front door, hand pressed firmly against his eyes. “Do you take blood thinning medications such as Warfarin?”

Jongin rolled his eyes and dunked the strainer. Yoongi was similarly unimpressed. “Excuse me?”

“Just answer the question!” Jungkook laughed, the sound transitioning into a caw. Even though he had much better control over his form, his laughter was never far from that of a raven.

“No?”

Jongin tuned them out, focusing on the tea reaching just the right concentration before he shot some of his magic into the blend to release the herbs’ natural magic. Satisfied, he removed the strainer and carried the mug to the door.

Jungkook looked concerned. “Jongin? I asked his name and now he’s crying. I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry,” Jongin said, patting Jungkook on the shoulder as he passed him. He settled on the wooden floor of the porch next to Yoongi, wincing at the damage to his body. It had been hard to assess his injuries in the moonlight but the sun’s rays were harsher – cuts ravaged every surface he could see and buried beneath congealed blood were even older scars. “How are you feeling?”

Yoongi sniffled and curled closer to the wall. “I could not hold the form. I am sorry.”

“Don’t feel bad, man!” Jungkook called from the entry way. “A witch cursed me to raven form and it took years to hold my human one for more than a minute. It sucks! Jongin’s tea is amazing though, helped me tons. Maybe it can help you!”

“I have tea,” Jongin added quietly. The wood beneath him warmed with his presence, the threads of ancient life gently drawing on his magic. Jongin gave it to them gladly. “It’s a stabiliser and enhances your natural power. It will help you hold the form for longer as your own magic adapts. It will work better if you are already in human form.”

Yoongi was silent for a long moment, and then his body slowly shrank. Eyes closed, he rolled over and Jongin helped guide him into a seated position. Hyeri fluttered away from his neck to sit on Yoongi’s head, her tiny hands grasping white hair. “You can open your eyes,” he murmured, “everyone else is inside and Hyeri can’t see your face when she’s on top of it.”

Yoongi steeled himself and his eyes flickered open, cat-eye pupils narrowing in the sunlight. Jongin smiles gently and hands him the mug. “Well done,” he said as Yoongi took careful sips, eyes fluttering with contentment as the tea’s warmth washed over him. He leant against the wall once the tea was finished, feeling its magic blend with his own until he no longer felt like he’d burst if he didn’t change back.

“Thank you,” Yoongi said softly, accepting the sunglasses and slumping with relief once they were firmly on his face. “Do they still work?”

Jongin leant forwards and tilted Yoongi’s face towards the sun, staring into the dark lenses and seeing nothing but the faint shadows of his eyes. “I can’t feel a thing. I’m confident you couldn’t kill with them on, but I’m not sure I could convince the others.”

“I’ll test it!” A tiny voice said, and before Jongin could move, Yura was gripping the bridge of Yoongi’s green nose and staring straight into the glasses.

“Yura!” Hyeri gasped, utterly still until enough seconds pass and Yura still hasn’t died. “It works,” she said with a sigh, “don’t scare me like that.”

“You are one of the fairies,” Yoongi said, voice hushed with wonder. “You helped me. Why?”

“You seem like a nice guy,” Yura shrugged. “And if Jongin says you’re safe, I believe him. I didn’t die! Or petrify! Keep drinking the tea and wearing the stupid human contraption and you’ll be right as rain. Or snow. I can’t wait until it’s winter.”

“It’s still autumn,” Sojin griped, flying over as Jungkook and Minah joined the odd gathering on the porch. “Hello, my name is Sojin. What’s yours?”

Yoongi stared at her as his bottom lip wobbled. “Oh no, he’s gonna cry again,” Jungkook said, eyes wide as he sat beside Jongin. “I’m sorry, man, we won’t ask again.”

“No,” Yoongi shook his head and clutched the mug to his chest. “I have not been asked for my name in years. I appreciate it.”

Jungkook frowned and he opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. “I’ll ask your name every day to make up for it. Now let’s get inside and get you some clothes before Jongin decides salad for breakfast is a great idea _again_. I’ll make pancakes! Minah!”

Hyeri petted Yoongi’s head consolingly. “It’s okay, Jongin. I like your salads.”

Jongin helped Yoongi to his feet. “Were you in the human regions?”

Yoongi nodded with a longing sigh. “My clan is based there. I took to long to blend in, so they left me in the forest.”

Sojin cooed in sympathy and fluttered to rest on Yoongi’s shoulder. Yoongi looked unsure what to do with all the attention. “You can take your time here,” she said firmly.

“Jungkook said it would be easier to cook and make preparations if I acquired some human objects,” Jongin said, smiling as Yura tucked herself into his pocket. “Tell me, what is a stove?”

 

* * *

  


It took two months for Jongin’s customers to realise he had a basilisk in training living with him. His business promptly dropped. Jungkook, enraged at the prejudice, took it upon himself to act as liaison in the nearest city. He would travel there once a week to deliver stock and take new orders. With the scarcity of other wood dryads in the area, business quickly picked up again.

“I like the stove,” Yoongi said, carefully chopping onions from Jongin’s garden. Although winter frost coated the forest, Jongin’s magic kept the cottage and its perimeter relatively warm.

“It means less work for me,” Minah said cheerfully from her perch atop his head. Although Yoongi’s skin was still determinedly green, he had far fewer scales and a full head of white hair. “The gas is unsettling though.”

“I won’t let it escape,” Sojin said evenly, manipulating the wind inside to chop the carrots.

Yoongi smiled as they chatted, the warmth in his chest at having a second family slowly becoming less foreign. He dutifully prepared the stew, keeping an eye on Jongin sleeping on the couch to ensure he wasn’t disturbed. “His work is becoming too popular,” he murmured. “He isn’t resting enough.”

“Maybe he should take a break,” Minah mused as Hyeri came back inside from tending to Jongin’s oak. The spring fairy promptly buried herself in Jongin’s warmth. “Take a month off.”

It took a good couple of hours before the stew was ready and when Yoongi roused him, Jongin only stayed awake long enough to eat it before curling up and dozing off again. “How did he survive before us?” Yoongi asked as they settled on the couch, waiting for Jungkook and the winter fairy to return.

Sojin hummed in thought, sprawled across Yoongi’s thigh. The members of the household went out of their way to show Yoongi affection, he’d noticed. He appreciated it more than words could say. “Before you and Kookie, he didn’t have as much to do. He’d cook and eat, but we require less than you two do. In colder months he’d join with his tree and hibernate, and we’d protect him.”

Yoongi immediately felt guilty. “We’re disturbing him,” he whispered.

“We’re taking care of him,” Hyeri corrected, sprinkling some of her magic into the leaves in Jongin’s hair. They glowed a soft pink and Jongin sighed in his sleep, some colour returning to his cheeks. “We’re his family now. Dryads aren’t meant to be alone.”

Yoongi collected the bowls and washed them before putting some of his tea into a strainer. He settled on the couch again, smiling a little when Jongin unconsciously shoved his feet beneath his thighs. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, smiling a little when Minah and Sojin settle in his hair. “What did he do before he met you? How did you meet?”

Hyeri sighed from her sprawl in Jongin’s hair. “We only know he planted himself here when he was young, and he was alone. During winter… how many winters ago?”

“Fifty six,” Sojin growled. Yoongi blinked in surprise, his eyelashes fluttering against the sunglasses. “I will not forget.”

The three of them shuddered. Yoongi opened his hands and Sojin and Minah left his hair to curl in his open palms. “Fifty six winters ago,” Minah said quietly, “a human mage wanted more power. He stole us from our clans and took us here. He tore down the trees and built this house.”

“The trees cried,” Hyeri said solemnly, tracing her fingers along a green leaf tangled in Jongin’s hair. “Even carved into planks and struck with iron, they screamed. It woke him.”

“He saved us,” Sojin added. “He freed us without asking for a bargain, and soothed the wood. It can’t become tree again, but he says we give it life.”

Yoongi hummed softly, humbled to be living inside a house that had seen such trauma. “The human?”

Minah glowered and embers crackled around her. “His tree ate him.”

“He asked us if we wanted to go home,” Hyeri said, her voice shaded with awe. “He didn’t want anything in return.”

“We missed our home,” Sojin admitted ruefully, “but we did not want to leave each other.”

“Four seasonal fairies forming a clan?” Minah shook her head. “It was unheard of. But something ties us together.”

“And a debt was still owed.” Hyeri curled up in Jongin’s hair. “We formed a fairy circle around his oak. Nobody can harm him.”

“They’d have to go through us,” Minah glowered. Even though his dark lenses, he could see her angry red glow.

“We’re lucky he found us,” Sojin said. “Debt is now family. We protect each other. And now you.”

Yoongi flushed, then hesitantly lifted his hand to touch his cheek. Hanging from his pinky finger, Sojin grinned at him. “I can blush?”

“I think your skin is a touch lighter,” Minah said proudly.

 

* * *

  


Jungkook and Yura promptly broke the peace by slamming the door open, hauling a large suitcase behind them.

“You brought the frost inside,” Minah groaned. Jongin stirred and she added, “You woke him up too!”

“Sorry guys,” Jungkook said with a smile, not looking sorry at all. “We made lots of money! I told them the winter’s too bad for herbs so they’ll have to wait a month for the next order.”

“Thanks,” Jongin murmured, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. “This year is colder.”

“I bought some stuff too,” Jungkook dropped the suitcase and opened the zip. “I’ve got honey, a bunch of seeds, some element stones?”

“They’re genuine,” Yura said proudly. “A witch called Kookie a mongrel changeling so I stole them from her.”

“And some food. Humans store it in cans, and some in packets that you add water to. Strange, right? And,” he stood up with a large quilt, took wobbly steps to the couch and dumped it on top of Jongin. “Alpaca wool! Not sure what that is but if I saw a picture I could turn into it. Probably.” His form flickered before shifting into a sheep. The form only stayed for a few seconds before he reluctantly switched back to human. “Curse is still kicking. Getting there though!”

“Thank you,” Jongin smiled, eyes closing involuntarily as the quilt trapped his body heat.

“Go back to sleep, Jongin. I’ll show you the cool shit later,” Jungkook grinned.

Hyeri rolled her eyes as Jongin curled up again. “These humans are teaching you bad habits.”

“Did you know they can carry phones without cords now? Weird as fuck. Also!” Rummaging through the suitcase, he produces a glasses case with a triumphant noise. “For you!” he grinned, presenting the case to Yoongi. Minah and Sojin left his hands so he could take it, opening it to reveal a new pair of sunglasses. “Thought you might want to switch things up,” he said.

Yoongi stared at the sunglasses and felt his cheeks heat again. “Thank you.”

“Oh my god,” Jungkook said, leaning down to peer at Yoongi’s face. “You’re blushing.”

“Am I?” Yoongi said, poking at his cheeks. The heat against his fingers prompted a delighted grin to stretch across his lips, easy and painless.

Jungkook shook his head. “Cute. You’re getting there!”

Minah sighed with her hands against a luminescent red stone. “Summer. I missed you.”

Yura tossed her hair over her shoulder with a proud smirk. “Told you they were legit.”

Sojin rubbed her face with a sigh. “These humans are terrible influences.”

 

 

 


End file.
